


Black on Black Chapter 1: Black on Black

by NeoCultureBangtan



Category: NCT (Band)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-09-29 09:37:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 22,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17201087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeoCultureBangtan/pseuds/NeoCultureBangtan
Summary: Their pride and joy - Regular-Irregular: Asia’s most popular hotel and casino, owned by 18 of the richest and youngest CEOs in the continent. The group that goes by the name NCT altered the hand they were dealt and their lives changed for better and for worse. A girl and her friends take a vacation that starts at Regular-Irregular and somehow they find what they’ve been looking for but in the most bizarre of circumstances. She helps them find the missing piece to the puzzle that is life and they offer her adventure, risk, and closure for nothing but the price of helping them finish what they started.*NOTE: This is set when all of the members are older which means Jisung and Chenle are adults and can drink and all that good stuff. Just a heads up so no one is confused.*





	1. Chapter 1

I throw my bags on the bed and let my feet slide out from under me, flopping face first into the comforter. My eyes burn from lack of sleep and my stomach growls from not being fed within the last hour - a never-ending problem I can’t escape from. The girls shuffle into the room, tossing their bags somewhere on the floor - where I will inevitably trip over them and curse - and discussing all the activities they want to take part in while we’re staying here.

“What do you think, ___?”

I turn my head, spitting out some of my hair and squinting at the two over-excited women staring at me. “What do I think about what?”

“What do you think about going over to the casino and spending our first night checking everything out?” Jennie asks me, bending down to begin digging through her messy suitcase.

I hum to myself, pursing my lips as I think of the best way to let them down lightly. “Um, maybe-”

Jisoo starts whining and shaking my leg. “Oh, come on, ___. We finally got here after hours of driving and you don’t even want to check the place out. It’s by far the most exciting location on our list of places to visit during this vacation. You can’t just go with us for like an hour?”

“You didn’t even let me finish,” I point out, turning my head when I feel a cramp forming in my neck.

Jennie scoffs from her seat on the floor and I can just imagine the award-winning eye roll she gave. “And what was going to be at the end of that unpromising sentence?”

I stay silent for a moment. “Maybe we could totally have fun tomorrow or later in the week, but right now I want to eat and nap.”

“Exactly!” Jisoo exclaims, her hands smacking against her thighs. “Why don’t you want to hang out with us? We’re at the most famous hotel and casino in Asia and you don’t even want to explore or at least leave the room?”

“I’ll leave the room to get food, but I don’t want to go over to the casino tonight. I’m tired, hungry, and sore from sitting in the car for so long.” I rub my neck at the mention of being sore and when I move my arm a few cracks are heard from my joints, further proving my point to the girls.

The room falls into silence as they start getting ready for their night at the casino. “Are you sure it’s just those reasons and not another particular reason? Like maybe the reason we’re taking this impromptu girls vacation?” Jennie suddenly asks, disappearing into the bathroom for a moment and returning with tissue to blot her lipstick.

I sit up and stare at her as she finishes touching up her makeup and fluffs her hair to give it some volume. “Well yeah, but I’m trying not to think about that too much,” I mumble, dropping my gaze when she finally looks at me.

“And what do you think is going to happen if you sit in here all night by yourself?” Jisoo asks softly, plopping next to me on the bed. She wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into her side and urging me to rest my head on her shoulder.

I sigh and whine at her. “Yeah, I know, but I’m not ready to socialize with the general population who are at a casino to have fun while I’m just pouty and miserable from a heartbreak that happened two weeks ago and is still an incredibly fresh wound,” I ramble half to myself because I’m still in utter shock from the situation and the way my life could change so suddenly and completely, allowing no time for planning. But I guess that’s just how life is - punch you in the face first, problem solve later.

Jisoo pets my hair while Jennie reaches over and grabs by hand, giving it a light squeeze and a peck on the back. They both move to change into nicer outfits - Jennie in a little black dress and Jisoo pulling on the new skirt and blouse she bought last week. After slipping on heels and grabbing their bags they turn back to me.

“Are you sure you don’t want to join us?” Jisoo asks hopefully.

Shaking my head and leaning back on my hands, I give them a small smile. “No, I’m okay here, really.”

Jennie walks over, wrapping her arms around me and squeezing, Jisoo not far behind and forcing us into a group hug. “Try not to let yourself get too caught up over him. Get some food, take a bath, read a book, go to sleep, but don’t give Taehyung that space in your mind. You’re on vacation, so pretend the real world doesn’t exist outside of this hotel,” Jennie tells me, pulling away and returning my smile.

“Exactly!” Jisoo agrees, opening her arms and spinning to gesture to the room around us. “We’re staying at the famous Regular-Irregular Hotel and Casino. I mean if there is a place to help you forget about your life and just relax and have fun, then this is definitely the place to do that. You just have to give it a chance and be open to it.”

Jisoo taps under my chin and they depart with a couple goodbyes before I am left in silence, their words echoing in my mind. Maybe I should try to have some fun. They’re right and I know they’re right, but I still can’t bring myself to look nice and attempt to maneuver through a crowded casino, surrounded by people having the time of their lives. I decide to bargain with myself and make an attempt to have fun and break out of my comfort zone for the rest of the trip - starting tomorrow. Tonight I’m going to do exactly as I said starting with food and ending with some much-needed rest. I’m sure having some fun will be enjoyable once I’m in the moment.

That’s why Taehyung broke up with me in the first place, I was too boring and domestic for him. Not that he would ever admit that because he’s too nice, but I’m not an idiot and I can read between the lines. He wanted more fun and adventure in his life. He needs to explore and take risks in order for him to feel fulfilled and I couldn’t give that to him because that wasn’t me. I wanted a simple life - a domestic life - consisting of days working or going to school and coming home at night to make dinner together and maybe end the night with some cuddling. I wasn’t the type of person that Taehyung could be with; I wasn’t someone exciting. But maybe I could be if I learn to try new things and break out of my shell on this trip. I could be a better me and stop being so boring and simple. I could be the person that I wasn’t in our relationship.

I bite my lip and squeeze my eyes closed to stop all thoughts of Taehyung from swarming my mind and completely ruining my night. I stand up, fixing my pants and grabbing my bag. When I leave the room and walk to the elevator, I decide that I would try to find food on the first floor because that is where all of the hotel restaurants, bars, and activities are located. As I enter the elevator and press the first-floor button my stomach growls rather loudly and I thank the heavens above that no one else is in here to witness how whipped I am for my stomach.

When the elevator stops and the doors open, I’m surprised to be met with small crowds of people here and there. I would have thought that everyone staying at the hotel would be enjoying themselves at the casino, but maybe they’re having more fun at the hotel, which is exactly what I’m trying to do. There are exits around the perimeter of the main lobby that lead to hallways and other rooms, but I have no idea where I should be going in order to find food. There aren’t any maps and I’m not looking to speak to anyone so I sigh, walking in the direction of the first opening to my right and strolling down the hallway and stopping every once in a while to admire a painting on the wall.

I turn down a couple more hallways, lost in my own world and thinking that the halls will probably circle back around to the lobby. I stop once again to admire a painting of the sky, the warm hues drawing me in until I’ve forgotten why I’m here in the first place. Suddenly I hear a loud voice, lecturing about work duties and the importance of responsibility, but no one responds, so I assume the man is on the phone. I jump when a door closes and he emerges from one of the rooms down the hall and freezes, his face remaining neutral when his eyes meet mine. He mumbles out a response and hangs up, pocketing the phone. The stranger slides his hands into the pockets of his black dress pants and tilts his head slightly, widening his stance to stand more comfortably while he watches me from down the hallway.

“Can I help you miss?” His voice catches me off guard the warmth and kindness of his tone paired with the soft volume and small smile leaves me speechless - along with the fact that I feel like I’m the next victim of his scolding. “Miss?”

Once again his voice is like honey, dripping sweetness and just sticky enough to get me tongue-tied. “Um, yes?”

He watches me carefully like he’s analyzing my every move and expression to come to some sort of solution within his own head. “Are you lost?” He begins walking toward me, his steps casual yet precise and his hands remaining in his pockets. The suit he wears fits him nicely but contradicts the shocking red of his hair. I have the passing thought that his hair would feel incredibly soft if I ran my fingers through it and my eyes widen for a moment, shocking myself with the thought.

When he stops to stand beside me, facing the painting as well, his eyes slowly roaming over every detail. I swallow and force myself to stop staring at him like a child waiting for a scolding. My eyes stare at the painting once again, but I’m no longer processing any of the colors because of the handsome stranger standing beside me - far enough away to remain polite, but standing near me nonetheless.

He turns to me once again his face impassive while he waits for the answer I can’t seem to come up with. His gaze holds no pressure or annoyance but I feel nervous from the constant eye-contact as he waits for any type of response to finally leave my mouth. “No. Yes. Kind of. I’m actually not really sure. I’ve never been here before and I was looking for a place to eat because I knew the first floor had everything but I wasn’t sure where so I started walking around. Now here we are.”

He lets out a light chuckle, his smile distracting me - the white of his teeth standing out against his tan skin. I let out a breathy laugh as well, the sound of it makes me cringe. “So you were blindly following the call of your hunger I see.” He glances at me, barely turning his head in my direction with his beautiful smile plastered on his face and I let out another laugh that ends in more of a sigh.

“Well, I’m not going to disagree with you. I got here less than an hour ago after an extended road trip with my friends and the only thing on my mind was food and sleep so I was kind of hoping for the best.” I look around the hallway and now that I’m no longer distracted by the man or the paintings I can see that this hallway is silent, empty, and probably getting me farther away from finding food. My lack of direction is embarrassing enough, but now I feel mortified.

“Do you need help finding the restaurant?”

I shake my head before I have even registered what he asked. “No, no that’s okay. I didn’t want to sit down and have a nice meal. I was hoping there was maybe like vending machines or something casual so I can take it back up to my room,” I explain quickly, wishing I would stop over-explaining everything I say.

He hums to himself, lightly nodding his head. “You didn’t consider room service?” He questions amusedly, tilting his head again and watching me.

“Well my friends are over at the casino right now and I promised them that I would at least leave our room tonight and I’m not one to break promises, so here I am.” I lift my arms momentarily to gesture around me, dropping them immediately and nervously chuckling when all I get is a small smile in return. This situation is only getting more awkward.

“Well, I can take you over to the lounge in one of the quieter areas of the casino if you want to eat some food that tastes better than chips and cookies.”

I laugh the first real laugh since we started talking. “I don’t know cookies and chips are pretty good.” I shift on my feet, all too aware of his gaze on me. “And thank you, that’s very kind of you to offer, but you don’t have to do that.”

“Why not? If you’re lost and don’t want to eat at the restaurant, then the lounge is a lot more casual and the food is spectacular.” He turns toward me for the first time and brushes past me to walk a little further down the hall, going back the way I came. “It can be on the house for your troubles in finding food. We don’t need anyone starving in the hotel,” he jokes, holding his hand out to me as an offer.

“On the house?” I question, taking cautious steps toward him and glancing down at his hand. He extends his fingers toward my hand, brushing against my fingertips and I allow him to softly grasp the tips and lead me behind him as we make our way down the hallway.

We turn a corner and he glances at me over his shoulder. “I’m one of the owners of Regular-Irregular.” My eyes nearly pop out of my head and my mouth falls open. He chuckles at me and turns back around, leading us down hallways and turning corners until we’ve reached the lobby. “I love my job and I love my guests and I want to be sure everyone is taken care of which includes you,” he pauses and I realize he’s waiting for me to give him my name so I quickly stutter it out and he nods his head once. “If I find a guest lost and searching for food, then I need to help them so I’ll escort you to the lounge and it will be on the house.”

“Oh.” I exhale and remain silent until we reach the lounge. “Thank you, this is so sweet and it means a lot.” Looks like my night won’t be consumed by thoughts of heartbreak and memories. “What’s your name?”

“Taeil.” I repeat his name in my head until it sticks and I can put the name to the face if I ever happen to run into him again. Although with him being an owner of the most popular hotel and casino he must be incredibly busy and I’m sure this will be the first and last time we speak to one another. He walks through the lounge and stops at a small booth along the edge, sliding in on one side and gesturing for me to sit across from him. He waves down a waiter and asks for a menu, thanking him and taking a quick glance across the large room, seemingly analyzing every detail within a matter of seconds like a true businessman staying on top of everything.

When he faces me again he gives me a dazzling smile and the waiter walks up, setting the menu in front of me and rushing off to tend to other guests. The next half hour speeds by and after receiving my food almost instantly, I’ve cleaned my plate and talked with Taeil, finding out he truly does love his job and he is genuinely a great person. It makes me realize there are just naturally amazing people in this world and I am thankful to have met one and completely paled in comparison.

“Thank you, again. You really didn’t have to and this was so nice-” I’m suddenly cut off when I hear loud cheering and shouting coming from a distance, instantly distracting me from whatever I was saying. I turn in the direction of the noise and see a few people leaving the lounge, heading toward the main part of the casino. “What’s going on?” I question, looking at Taeil and pointing at the exit.

He gives me a nod, a small smile spreading across his lips at my curiosity. “My first, and best, guess would be that one of the limitless boys is doing something wild, as usual.”

I blink at him, the term “limitless boys” completely going over my head, but I remain intrigued and look over at the exit one more time before turning back to Taeil. The temptation to investigate and find out what is going on sits restlessly within me, the want to investigate is clear in my fidgeting and lack of attention.

Taeil chuckles at me, standing from his seat and fixing his suit. “Would you like to go see?”

I think for a moment, knowing damn well I want to go look, but fearing that I’m taking up too much of his time. “Well yes, but I can go alone. You don’t have to keep escorting me places.”

He lightly takes a hold of my hand, pulling me to stand and leading us toward the exit as the waiter begins swiftly clearing the table behind us. “Do you know how to get to the main casino floor?” I open my mouth, quickly closing it soon after and shaking my head. “Well, then I feel like it’s my job to make sure you can find your way around and enjoy your stay to the fullest extent. As I said earlier, I don’t want you or anyone getting lost, so it’s my pleasure to escort anyone that needs it.”

His smile silences me for the rest of the walk to the main casino floor, nothing but a small nervous laugh leaving my lips. When we reach, what I can only assume is the main casino floor, my mouth falls open in awe and I vaguely hear a soft chuckle coming from Taeil as he leads us farther into the crowds with a gentle hand on my back.

The room is loud and bright, the barrage of sights and sounds instantly overwhelming my senses. The air is thick with humidity from the heat radiating off of everyone’s bodies, the space filled to the brim with people laughing, cheering, and drinking. Along the back of the room is where all the noise is coming from and most of the people are standing, forcing themselves between poker tables to see whatever is happening in the center.

I don’t have to wait long to find out because suddenly a tall, muscular guy climbs on one of the poker tables and gives a big smile, holding his arms out to the sides and doing a slow turn. He’s yelling something to the crowd and hyping them up, but I can’t hear over the cheering. We move in a little closer, lingering outside the circle but staying close enough to hear the man shouting to the crowd about participating in a poker match with him and his friends. The two friends in question linger slightly behind the table, smirks plastered on their faces, daring the crowd to take the challenge which probably means they shouldn’t.

Taeil leans in and says, “That’s Lucas and in the back are Johnny and Chenle, they’re all part of the limitless group and a few more of the owners.” I turn to him in surprise, unsure and confused. He nods as if answering all my unasked questions and I look back at the guy on the poker table, shouting and making a scene. He’s an owner?

My face starts feeling hot and I realize I’m overheating from the stifling amount of bodies surrounding me. I let out a sigh and turn away from the crowd, trying to maneuver my way back the way we came and becoming frustrated when the crowds seem to become denser. Taeil comes up behind me leading me in another direction, the crowds quickly splitting for him and I sigh in relief when we reach the main hall again, the cool air like magic on my skin.

“You okay?” He asks beside me, watching me with worry in his eyes.

I nod my head. “Yeah, it was just warm in there, that’s all.” He nods, his eyes looking between mine to confirm or deny my statement and after a moment he nods again. “I think I’m just going to head back up to my room for the night. Thank you for everything.”

He dips his head, his bright smile lighting up the room. “Of course, anytime. Have a good night.”

“Thank you, you too.” I turn to walk away, giving him a small wave that he reciprocates and I make my way to the elevators. I let out a long sigh, resting my head against the wall once I’m inside, enjoying the quiet hum of the elevator and the soft music playing as opposed to the screaming people and loud music in the casino.

When I reach the room all I can think about is the weird night I’ve had. Even after I’ve showered and climbed into bed - long before the girls get back - the events of tonight replay in my head, questions upon questions forming along with it. The girls know way more about this place than I do so I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow to ask them who the owners are and how they became so successful as such young ages.

I am awake long before the girls, dressed and waiting for them to wake up so we can finally get breakfast together because I am not willing to get lost looking for somewhere to eat again. When it’s 11 a.m. Jisoo moans, turning over and grunting when the light hits her eyes from where I opened the curtains, hoping to wake them up. She sits up suddenly looking around, her eyes wide and panicked.

“What time is it? What’s going on?” She stands up quickly and starts peeling her clothes off falling in front of her suitcase.

“What? It’s 11 and I’m waiting for you two so we can go get breakfast - or technically lunch now.”

Jennie groans now and throws the blanket off, whining. “Why are you being so loud?”

Jisoo exhales a sigh of relief and falls backward, laying out across the floor. “I forgot we were on vacation and I had a dream I was late for work. False alarm, everything is okay.” She lifts her hand giving us a thumbs up, then letting it fall.

“Great,” I deadpan, locking my phone and standing from my chair. “Now you two get dressed so we can go down and eat, then start our day.”

“What’s the rush?” Jennie asks.

“The rush is I’m hungry and it’s time to go eat and we’re going to have a meal together like a normal family on vacation. Now get your butts up and let’s go eat.” I pull Jennie out of bed and force both of them to at least brush their teeth before we go down because their breath is lethal after the night out.

When they are finally ready and we make our way out of the elevator, I look around trying to decide where the restaurant would be. I see a lady in a uniform walk by and I quickly get her attention. “Excuse me? Where can we find the restaurant?”

She glances at our outfits for a moment - the oversized t-shirts and pajama pants proving to be quite the look - but quickly returns her gaze to mine, giving me a large smile. “Oh, you can find it through the doors to the left of the main entrance and down the hall. It’s a large room so you can’t miss it,” she informs giving us another smile before we follow her directions, finding the place with ease. If only I had asked for directions last night.

The room is brightly lit and really just a large room filled with tables as the waitress had mentioned. There isn’t anything particularly special about the restaurant but the overall atmosphere is peaceful and the food that everyone has smells amazing. There is a sign to the left that says “brunch is served buffet style until noon, then lunch and dinner will be offered”. I look at the girls and Jisoo shrugs leading us toward the buffet. Jennie and I follow behind our older friend, our eyes glued to the tables of food near the far wall. Suddenly my name is called and I pause mid-step staring at Jisoo and Jennie’s back as they move farther away, continuing toward the food, and I realize someone else must have called my name.

I turn and scan the tables until I hear “over here” and I immediately lock eyes with Taeil a couple tables over. He offers me a small smile as I hesitantly approach. There are 3 other guys sitting around the table and I try to avoid their curious gazes as they watch me linger at the edge of the table.

“Hi, did you sleep well?” Taeil asks, looking up at me with a genuine smile on his face.

I nod. “Yeah. Yeah, I slept great, thanks for asking.”

“Great.” One of the guys clears his throat and I finally look over at them as they stare between Taeil and me confused but intrigued. “And these are a few more of the owners: Doyoung, Yuta, and Mark.” He gestures to each of them in turn and I give them each a smile to which they nod and size me up. I flush under their gaze and silently question how many owners there really are.

I hear gasps behind me and I look over my shoulder to see Jisoo and Jennie staring at me from near the buffet with wide eyes. I sigh and look back at the men. “Nice to meet you all.”

“Will you be attending the Black on Black event tonight at the casino?” Taeil tilts his head in question and I blink at him, trying to rack my brain for any information on the subject, but I come up empty.

“What’s the Black on Black event?”

“Anyone who attends the event wearing all black will receive a free drink. It’s hosted by us and a couple of the other owners that are a part of the boss group.”

I nod along, completely lost in what he’s explaining. “Oh that sounds nice, but I don’t know if I’ll be going.”

“Well if you do decide to attend, then any time you see one of us or we see you,” he motions to the other men and himself, “we will give you a free drink to thank you for joining us.” Taeil gives me a big, bright smile and the other three follow suit, blinding me with their gorgeous smiles.

“Well,” I pause trying to find the right words, nerves taking over from the pressure of their eyes on me, “I will definitely think about it. I’m sure my friends will want to go.” I gesture behind me to the two girls, standing in their pajamas, plates in their hands, and looks of awe painting their faces.

Taeil smiles and nods. “We hope to see you there,” Yuta says, giving me a smile and a casual wave as I turn to leave, escaping the terribly awkward and uncomfortable situation.

I move as fast as possible to where the girls are impatiently waiting for me and they immediately whisk me away to a table in one of the corners. When they sit me down and quickly plop in their respected seats they stare me down, waiting for what I assume is an explanation, though I don’t have one because I am just as confused.

“Do you want to explain to us what that was?” Jennie questions, sitting on the edge of her seat.

I shrug my shoulders, unsure of how to answer. “I don’t know. I was talking to some of the owners of the hotel.”

Jisoo groans, holding her head in her hands. “Yes, we know that. That’s exactly why we’re asking. How do you know the freaking owners?”

“And why didn’t you tell us?” Jennie adds.

I sigh, rubbing my temples. “I don’t know them. I met three of them just now. Taeil is the only one I spoke to last night and today he introduced me to the other guys and asked me if I was going to the Black on Black event tonight.”

“Okay, I have a lot of questions, starting with what did you say about tonight?” Jisoo asks, narrowing her eyes at me. “And don’t leave out a single detail.”

“I said I would think about it and he said that if I happened to attend then every owner that was at the table would give me a free drink if we saw each other at the event,” I explain, avoiding their death glares. “And then Yuta, the one with the light pink hair, said he hoped to see me there.”

“You told them you’d think about it? You should have told them yes!” Jennie exclaims, becoming more passionate than I’ve seen her in a while.

“But I have to think about it,” I argue.

“No,” Jisoo cuts in, “you don’t have to because all three of us are going, end of discussion. Now you can tell us all about the night you had later, but right now you need to learn all about Regular-Irregular, including the owners and the inner-workings.”

“Why?”

“Because you were talking to them and they are clearly planning on speaking to you again so you need to know about this place and the people that are in charge.”

“Ugh, fine,” I groan, glancing over my shoulder one last time to catch the four men standing up and fixing their suit jackets and sleeves before promptly leaving the restaurant. “But why do you two know so much about all of this?”

“We have been following the news of this place since it opened which is why we’re so excited to be here. And most people know about them and about this place or at least as much as you can find on google,” Jennie explains. “Now where to start,” she mumbles, tapping her chin.

“First we will start with the boys,” Jisoo begins, placing her hands flat on the table likely preparing us both for the long explanation to come. “So there are 18 owners, Taeil is the oldest and Jisung is the youngest-”

“Wait, wait, wait. Why are there 18 owners?”

“Well, they only officially had 18 as of last year when the youngest finally finished business school and joined in. They require that every member have a business degree before officially joining the company,” Jennie tells me, waving her arms around as she explains. “The original group that started the company and got it running was Taeil, Yuta, Doyoung, Mark, and Taeyong because they already had their business degrees and they are all a part of the boss group along with Jeno who was added in a few years ago.”

“So what are all these groups that keep getting mentioned?” I ask, making mental notes of names and anything that seems important. “Taeil mentioned the ‘limitless boys’ a few times last night.”

“Yes, the limitless boys consist of Lucas, Haechan, Ten, Chenle, Johnny, and Jisung-”

“Wait, his name is Ten?”

“Some of them go by nicknames,” Jisoo replies and when I nod in understanding she continues. “The limitless group are wild ones. They are the boys that have the most fun, take the most risks, and basically, don’t know when to stop because they’re mostly concerned about fun. From what I’ve heard they all take Regular-Irregular seriously though so no one ever jeopardizes the business and they all care about the guests so they’re mostly just putting themselves in any type of danger.”

This is a weird place. I feel like I’ve entered another dimension or I’m stuck in some type of bizarre dream. “Why are they split up into groups in the first place?”

Jennie shrugs. “No one knows. That’s just what they started going by and then it stuck.”

I blink a few times, the information overwhelming me, but I shake my head and look back at the girls. “Alright so who else is there?”

“Well,” Jennie picks up where Jisoo left off, “we already mentioned the boss group and they are the behind the scenes group. They take care of most of the business and all the important aspects of the hotel and casino. They’re considered the most serious and immersed of all the owners because they’re also the original owners who started the business up and basically gave birth to their child that is Regular-Irregular.”

“Oh wow, great imagery,” I mutter, rubbing my eyes with my palms rather aggressively.

“Thank you. But the boss group is seen the least of all the guys,” Jennie continues, ignoring my sarcasm. “They are always where they need to be at all times and somehow everyone always says they are everywhere all the time. And I’m starting to believe it after you’ve run into Taeil twice in under twenty-four hours.”

“So the boss group is basically the most powerful?” I ask.

Jisoo nods. “Yes, in a way.”

“But they’re not the face of the hotel and casino?”

Jisoo shakes her head. “That would bring us to the last group: paradise. And they are all just that - beautiful, charming, flirty, and they make you feel like you’re living your best life just by talking to them.”

I scrunch my nose up, slightly put off by this commentary. “Why?”

“I don’t know. No one knows.”

I roll my eyes. “Wow, people seem to know a lot, but then have absolutely no reasoning or explanation.”

“Oh well.” Jisoo shrugs and folds her hands. “Anyway, this group consists of Jaemin, Jungwoo, Jaehyun, Kun, Winwin, and Renjun. They literally reel people in - and that means girls and guys - and when they leave they don’t even realize what they did and the people are left in a lovestruck daze.”

I roll my eyes, yet again, scoffing at her explanation. “Well, that doesn’t make them sound very appealing in my opinion, but to each his own, I guess. But is that it? Or are their secretly 6 other owners?”

Jennie and Jisoo glance at each other in thought. “I think those are all the important details,” Jennie tells me, nodding her head. “Anything else can be a learn-as-you-go experience.”

“But now you need to study,” Jisoo adds, holding up a hand when I open my mouth to argue. “No questions, comments, concerns, or complaints allowed. You need to know all the names of the owners because you are on a road to friendship and I don’t want to watch you mess this up.”

“How is me knowing all their names going to be the do or die on a non-existent friendship?”

Jisoo groans, throwing her head back so fast she could have died and I feel genuine fear for a second. “Oh god, we have a lot of work to do. I can sense your failure hurtling toward the situation.”

The sights and sounds of the main casino floor are just as overwhelming as I remember from that first night with Taeil. I sit beside Jennie and glance around at my surroundings before scanning my outfit once more and humming in disappointment at the clothing for the hundredth time since Jisoo first picked it out.

Jisoo looks over at me a few times before rolling her eyes and sighing. “You look great, stop stressing. You’re literally wearing nice pants and a nice tank top, that is as simple and comfortable as it gets.”

“What about the freaking heels you shoved on my feet?” I raise an eyebrow at her and she waves me off immediately.

 

“Don’t worry, once we get a few drinks in you, you’ll probably end up taking them off anyway, so they’re just for show.”

I mumble complaints about anything and everything under my breath, resting my chin on my hand and impatiently tapping a rhythm against the bar. I admire the expensiveness of the shiny black marble top and get lost in the thoughts of when I’ll have my own home one day. Then I remember the apartment Taehyung and I were living in and how we always fantasized about ripping everything out and just starting fresh, although that seems to be a ridiculous fantasy in more than one way now. The pain slowly starts to seep in and Jisoo reaches over, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. I look up and they both give me smiles and a shake of their head, signaling for me to leave my heartbreak outside of the casino and just have some fun.

It’s like the universe heard our silent conversation and sent over the perfect distraction from my spiraling thoughts. Three guys walk up and I can recognize that they’re owners even without the small gasps from Jennie and Jisoo behind me. A younger looking boy with faded pink hair stops at the bar beside me, the other two males standing beside him with smiles.

The one with pink hair flashes me a heart-stopping smile and I can tell right off the bat he is a part of the paradise group; the flirts that can charm anyone and aren’t even doing it intentionally. It’s clear in the natural curve of his lips and the genuine warmth in his eyes that he is just a friendly person with an overwhelming amount of charm and I can’t help but return the smile.

“I’m Jaemin,” he offers, tilting his head forward slightly to get a better look at my face. “Taeil told us about the guest of honor and Yuta happened to point you out to us because he was busy and told us to buy you a drink. Any preferences?”

I shake my head. “Whatever you recommend.”

“Well, we actually have a signature drink, if you’d be willing to give it a try.” He watches me for a moment, weighing my reaction and when I nod, he gives another dazzling smile, waving down a bartender to order. When he receives the drinks, he passes one to me, two to his friends, and he keeps one for himself. I look behind me to ask if the girls want anything, but their seats are empty and I realize I could have been alone this entire time and didn’t notice. Nice.

“What’s the name of this signature drink?” I ask, spinning the glass around and admiring the bright red color of the mystery drink. It seems to be a mixture between a large shot and a martini which makes no sense to me, but I lack information and I don’t know what it technically is.

“Fire truck.” The shortest of the three answers before clinking glasses with the last guy and throwing it back. “Bright red in color and hits you like a fire truck,” he exclaims, shaking his head after the drink, wincing slightly to himself, and shooting me an excited smile.

Jaemin lifts his glass to me and I lift mine, clinking them together before he throws his back quickly swallowing the liquid and squeezing his eyes shut against the inevitable burn. I let out a sigh. Now or never. I put the glass to my lips and tilt it all the way until I can feel the alcohol making its way down my throat, setting fire to my insides. The three males cheer me on and Jaemin gives me a high five when I’ve recovered.

“What are in those?” I ask with a slight rasp to my voice.

Jaemin laughs. “I try not to know so I can’t psych myself out.” He turns to the other guys and the one with the orange hair gives me a smile comparable to the cuteness of a puppy. My heart melts instantly and I remember everything that Jisoo and Jennie told me about the paradise members, deciding that the rumors are in fact true and it has only been five minutes. “This is Ten,” he points to the shortest of the three, then to the orange-haired boy, “and this is Jungwoo.”

I nod to each of them and they begin chatting away, asking me questions about myself, complimenting me, asking about my stay so far, and I barely manage to keep up between Jungwoo and Jaemin asking questions back and forth. So far I’ve noticed that the paradise boys really are the most chatty because these two don’t know when to take a breath and they only ask about the other person, failing to talk about themselves which must be how they make people feel special.

Eventually, Jaemin and Jungwoo leave to talk with other guests and the other NCT boys - as I had expected after my lessons with Jennie and Jisoo - but Ten lingers around and slides next to me when the boys have left. “Do you want to go on a tour of the casino?”

I hesitate to reply, my mouth remaining open while I try to conjure up an answer as quick as possible, but my mind seems to be failing me. “Um-”

“Aw come one, I don’t bite,” he tells me, a laugh following his words and he places a hand on my back, leading me into the crowds filling the casino and away from the bar. He leads me around the main floor of the casino, pointing out people, certain tables, machines that he loves to use, and he seems to be having a great time giving me a tour because he talks at a louder volume than necessary and laughs every other minute. Then again, it could be the drink kicking in because I feel a bit light and happy as well, or at least more than I was earlier.

When we’ve circled back around to the back area of the casino where most of the poker tables are, I notice a large group of people around one of the tables, silently watching whatever is going on. Ten leads us closer, going around all of the people and to the backside of the poker table where no one is allowed to stand - except for us apparently.

“Whenever any of the owners participate in a match, especially if it’s against one another as this one is, then it always attracts big groups,” he explains quietly, trying not to disturb his friends who stare at their cards intensely, like the answer to happiness is written across them.

“Does that include you?”

He shrugs, chuckling. “Very rarely. Poker isn’t my thing if I’m honest.”

“Wow, a partial owner of a casino isn’t into poker, that’s interesting,” I drawl, watching the tense match as anxiety creeps in from the stress that gambling brings me.

He laughs again, shaking his head and watching my profile. “Poker isn’t the most important thing to do at a casino, there are other fun activities.”

“Like drinking your weight in alcohol and taking guests on tours of the vicinity?” I turn to smirk at him and he mirrors my expression, narrowing his eyes at me. 

“I like you,” he mumbles, turning back to the match. “That’s Jeno, Renjun, Kun, and Taeyong by the way.”

I hum in response, quickly becoming immersed within the match, nearly biting my nails off until it finally comes to an end. Ten departs to talk to his friends and I wander off toward the center of the casino, looking for Jennie and Jisoo.

After about ten minutes of wandering a young guy comes sprinting out of nowhere and stops in front of me with a large grin and a curious look in his eyes. “You’re the girl everyone’s been talking about right?”

I blink at the brown-haired stranger, letting out a breathy laugh to cover my surprise. “Um, probably. Are you one of the infamous owners?”

“Infamous?” He scoffs, but it’s not in a rude way. He seems as if his mind is going a million miles a minute, his eyes constantly looking around and never staying in one place for too long, a tiny smile barely present on his lips on and off but not for too long. “I’d say we’re better than that, but I guess people will talk. I’m Haechan, of the limitless group. I assume you know what that means since you’ve spoken with multiple owners.”

“I do-”

“Great, so why exactly-”

“Haechan! Haechan!” A tall, skinny boy with orange hair yells, weaving his way through the crowd and running toward us. He barely gives me a glance before his full attention is on Haechan, eyes wide and voice energetic. “Lucas lost a bet and now he has to do some stupid challenge.”

“Oh god, I have to see this,” Haechan yells, turning to me as he starts jogging behind the taller boy. “Sorry, duty calls.”

I give him a small wave and he’s gone within a second, the crowd swallowing both of their figures until it is like they were never even here. I realize the taller boy never introduced himself, but I recognize the name Lucas from last night. He was the one on the poker table daring everyone to face him in a game and I understand how he’s suddenly in a bad position.

I look around, mulling over the thought of another drink because now that I’m alone and bored another one of those fire trucks don’t sound so bad. Before I can even make a move there is suddenly another man standing in front of me, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. He stares at me with a friendly smile, a pair of dimples on his cheeks and a piece of hair falling in his face, making him appear cute and sweet while his strong jaw and height make him seem masculine. He is a walking contradiction, but I have a feeling I know who he belongs with already.

“Another one, wow. I really have a way with you owners, don’t I?” I joke, watching him as his smile remains unfazed and he simply chuckles at my remark. “Well while you’re here, why don’t we get some drinks? I’m in need of some alcohol.”

He laughs again, nodding his head. “Of course, we can go back to this bar or go up to the lounge bar where it’s quieter and the lines aren’t as long.”

“Fewer people sounds like a dream, let’s do that. Lead the way, mysterious stranger.” I smile at him and he bows his head slightly, holding back another laugh.

“Of course, mysterious girl that Taeil has informed everyone to befriend, follow me.” He turns around dramatically, chuckling to himself and I roll my eyes but smile nonetheless, amused by his antics. We walk off the main casino floor and he leads us to the second floor where the lounges are and I recognize the route we take from last night when I went with Taeil. At least I know how to get up here on my own.

He leads us to the bar, sitting in a seat toward the edge and patting the one next to him. I follow his lead and make myself comfortable. His eyes scan the alcohol along the back as he waves down a bartender and when he has the woman’s attention he turns to me. “Two fire trucks please,” I tell him before he can ask me.

He blinks at me slightly surprised and I feel a weird sense of pride that I caught a member of the paradise group - people pleasers and unintentional manipulators - off guard. He nods once and orders four fire trucks, turning back to me as the woman starts making the drinks. “It’s like you can read my mind.”

The woman hands us our first round and we tap our glasses before downing them and setting the glasses back on the bar. I wince for a moment, recovering from the burn and silently praying that I get tipsy enough to make it through this night. “Oh yeah, I’m a real mind reader. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten a lot of action with your friends tonight because they don’t seem to have a lot going in there.”

He lets out a loud laugh, throwing his head back and I jump slightly from the volume, holding a hand to my heart, feeling it speed up beneath my palm. When he finishes his laughing fit the bartender hands us our second round and I don’t hesitate to throw my head back and swallow the fiery liquid before we can waste time tapping glasses. I slide the glass back to the woman and purse my lips against the intensity. These drinks are unsurprisingly strong.

“So what’s your name?” I ask, watching his profile as he finishes his own drink, not even batting an eye, then giving the woman a big smile - dimples and all - before turning to me.

“Jaehyun,” he replies, tilting his head slightly - typical - and folding his hands in front of him. “How has your stay been so far? I hope all of the boys haven’t been too much. They can be overwhelming sometimes, but we’re all just trying to have fun and make sure everyone enjoys their stay.”

I nod along and smile. “Oh, no they’ve all been really nice and accommodating. And this place is great,” I tell him, looking around him and admiring the beauty of the much quieter and dimly lit room. “I am certainly more used to a quiet, simple lifestyle, but considering I’m on vacation I think this is the perfect place to have some fun. You all seem to be very good at that.”

“Well as you may have noticed, the limitless boys are the most well-versed in the world of fun and risks, but I like to think we can all have a good time.” He gives a small scoff and opens his arms gesturing around the room. “I mean we all own a casino, we have to be able to have fun to some degree.”

A tall boy with dark hair and a nice suit walks from behind me and stops next to Jaehyun with his back to me. He quietly mentions to Jaehyun that they have something to take care of and Jaehyun gives him a stiff nod, standing up from his seat. “I’ll be right there, Winwin,” he tells the thinner boy, giving me another dazzling smile. “I apologize, but I have to leave for some business, I hope you had a nice time and I hope the rest of the night is the right amount of fun you’re looking for.”

He leaves with a final wave that I return, followed by a sigh, slumping slightly in my seat and running a hand through my hair. It has been another long night and all I can think about now is going to sleep.

But I decide to enjoy my stay here like everyone else seems to be, finding my way back down to the main casino floor and wandering around mindlessly, admiring every entrancing detail. The sounds are borderline deafening - the mixture of people and machines booming throughout the room - and the lights from all of the machines and the overhead lighting counteracts the ocean of black surrounding me. The black on black event is a genius idea because the excessive amount of black brings more attention to the flashing lights and makes the casino appear even more dreamlike. Everyone seems like they’re in a trance - having the time of their lives but forgetting anything that lies outside the walls of this chaotically beautiful place.

I watch the people around me as they laugh and cheer for their wins or groan in frustration, but turn to their friends with smiles of pure joy present on their faces. Envy creeps into the crevices of my mind and pulls a frown out of me, wishing I could be as careless as these strangers. That I could let go of the control I keep over myself and just let loose during this vacation so I wouldn’t be the boring, simple person Taehyung left and become the free and adventurous person that he is. Maybe then the heartbreak wouldn’t be so brutal and I could lose myself in my surroundings. But that’s not how my mind works and I’ll have to get through the pain the hard way.

As I pass by the poker tables yet again, a few of the guys catch my eye as they laugh around their table, shoving one another and slapping cards out of each other’s hands. I squint my eyes to get a better look at the boys and see if I can recognize any of them. Ten, Taeyong, Lucas, and Jaemin are the only ones I can recognize, the rest have their backs turned to me and I quickly walk out of sight before they can see me.

The mysterious owners of an incredibly popular destination seem to be just normal guys - they’re kind, exciting, friendly, everything you need to be successful - yet I feel like there is something off about them. I feel that they are genuine in everything they do, but there has to be a reason behind their success; I mean how do eighteen men all under the age of 30 manage to build such a ground-breaking place with nothing more than required business degrees? This place and these people have piqued my interest and I can feel that this place is where I need to be in order to move forward in my life. I don’t know why I have such a strong inclination to suddenly enjoy myself here, but I’m going to take this opportunity to find myself and find joy in life again.

As I walk into the elevator, I can’t help but feel grateful for agreeing to join the girls on this vacation. I needed it and they were right. Staying home, sulking and wishing to return to memories from before would have done nothing but make my suffering more painful and drag on longer.

I unlock the door and step into the room, sighing in content from the silence I’m met with. The girls aren’t back yet, which does not surprise me, and I could not be happier because I know as soon as they see me they’re going to want to know all about the boys and the night I had. I strip out of my clothes and climb into bed, resting my body and enjoying the feeling of my muscles relaxing.

My mind, however, won’t shut off, my thoughts running wild about the boys. They are such an anomaly to me already. Everybody seems to love them - including the girls and I - but they never share anything about themselves. I’ve hardly spoken to any of them, but I can’t get them off my mind and all I want to do is continue talking to them and ask them questions about their life. Although I doubt they would answer, they all seem secretive about the details and history of Regular-Irregular. I can’t explain it, but I feel like I want to know everything about them. I want to uncover, what I believe to be, a large secret behind their success. I don’t have the slightest idea why I feel this urge, but I want to figure them out.


	2. Black on Black Chapter 2: Cherry Bomb

I stand in front of the mirror, brushing my hair and staring into my own eyes that watch me with sadness and pain. The dreams - or nightmares - have yet to fail in disturbing my sleep since Taehyung left me. The fear of being alone haunts me more and more as the days pass and I realize this is not Taehyung just simply needing space and that he really is gone. With the girls down getting massages, I’m left to entertain myself which never results in anything more than crying or the occasional fit of rage.

I drop the brush on the counter and lean forward against the counter to stare into my glassy eyes, disappointment falling over me. I am valid in my pain, but that does not mean I need to wallow in it. The decision is made before I leave the bathroom and enter the hotel room on a mission to find a casino-worthy outfit for my impromptu trip to have fun. Within fifteen minutes I’m grabbing my purse and making my way down the hall to the elevator, a buzzing through my veins, hyping me up to push forward and not back out.

The casino is alive when I enter, the flashing lights and trendy music accentuating my determination to have fun and shrug off the weight on my shoulders. I head straight over to the bar to get a few drinks in me so I can be at my maximum level of enjoyment and relaxation. The people around me laugh, yell, and cheer, but I remain seated, waiting for a bartender to notice me long enough that I can order a drink. The second he passes by me for the sixth time, I lean forward to wave him down and he stops in front of me, taking my order with a bit of an attitude.

A few minutes pass before the drink is in my hand and I begin to take long gulps to get the alcohol in my system as soon as possible. My thoughts continue to plague me with the feeling of impending doom and I finish off the last of the drink, hoping it kicks in soon to silence them. My heart yearns for the feel of Taehyung beside me, for the sound of his angelic laughter, for the sight of his child-like amazement of his surroundings. But he is nowhere near me and the chill that consumes me without the warmth of his hands is a constant reminder.

Two more drinks later, I find myself wandering around the main casino floor, staring ahead without a care in the world. Except, instead of feeling free and weightless, I feel empty. Lost. Without the weight on my shoulders to hold me down, I’m floating in the air. But I’m caged in by the walls and the ceiling held down despite the innate need to disappear into the sky like a balloon free of a child’s hand but cursed to remain indoors.

People pass by in groups with smiles of happiness stretched across their faces and I suddenly realize this may not have been the best decision. But watching these guys - the NCT boys, the owners of this casino - enjoying life and pushing limits that I had never even considered, makes me feel incompetent. A boring, simple excuse of a person that has no direction in life and no sense of the word fun. I feel a pull toward them and their exciting, accomplished lives. The fact that they can be so independent and professional, yet wild and uncaring makes me want to be that way. I want to be okay with being alone and allow myself to let go of some of the control I have over my life. Not everything will go as I have planned and I need to learn that it will not be the end of the world when this happens.

I try to remind myself that I just met these guys and I should refrain from trying to idolize them already, but it feels almost impossible when they live a lifestyle I want so badly to experience.

Suddenly I reach the lobby and return to real lighting, instead of flashing lights from slot machines, stuns my eyes for a moment and when they adjust my heart nearly stops. There is a man across the lobby, holding a woman and placing soft kisses around her face, ending with a sweet kiss on her lips. His hair and outfit remind me of Tae. But that woman does not remind me of myself at all; she looks exactly like someone Taehyung would want to be with. Beautiful, adventurous, daring. He leans in to place another kiss on her lips and my stomach turns with the thought that this may not be Taehyung, but it very well could be.

Hot tears roll down my face, blurring my vision and ruining my makeup, I’m sure. The sudden, overwhelming rush of pain clouds my head and has me stumbling from the casino and into the lobby of the hotel where guests throw me judgemental glances as I pass. I fall against the closest wall and lean my head back to steady my breathing and gain some control over myself before I attempt to make it the rest of the way to my hotel. The alcohol makes my mind fuzzy and my limbs feel heavy and hard to move, only complicating things further.

I attempt to wipe under my eyes and rid myself of the tears, but they won’t stop flowing and the pain only drills itself deeper. Quiet sobs escape my lips and I press a hand over my mouth to silence them. Arms suddenly wrap around me, pulling me into warm bodies and I can instinctively recognize the scents as the girls whisper calming words into my ear. The walk back to our room is blurry because of my hysterical crying, but I recognize the plush mattress beneath me and the dip in the bed when Jennie and Jisoo lay on either side of me to keep me company as I doze off.

————–

The sounds of quiet chatter are what wake me up the next morning, followed by an uncomfortable amount of sunlight streaming through the window. I slowly lift my arm to cover my eyes and the room falls silent. A few moments pass before they speak up again.

“Morning,” Jennie calls from the other bed.

“Is it still morning?” I question, moving to roll over and give my eyes a break.

“No,” she answers, “it’s the middle of the afternoon.”

“Yeah, the sun wouldn’t be this horrendous if it was earlier.” I roll to the edge of the bed and push myself up, swinging my legs over the side. I stare at my feet for a few moments, swinging them back and forth while I listen to them talk about whatever cool new thing they learned about the hotel.

When I finally stand up, my joints crack and I groan from the stretch in my back. I walk to the bathroom and glance at myself in the mirror, grimacing at the streaks of mascara running down my face and neck. Great. I begin taking my makeup off and walk back into the room, standing opposite the girls.

“Any plans today?” I ask them, throwing the makeup wipe in the trash once I’ve finished.

They nod their heads slightly, appearing apprehensive. “Actually yes. We were going to talk to you about that,” Jisoo begins, glancing at Jennie.

I slip out of my outfit and pull on a pair of sweats and an old shirt I use for pajamas. When I realize they haven’t said anything else, I turn back to them. “Well? What is it? What are your plans?”

“Well, on our way to our massages last night we ran into Taeil and Mark,” Jennie explains, adjusting her position on the bed. “They said we should go to their next event that is being held tonight at the casino. It’s called their Cherry Bomb event. You know how the Boss group had their Black on Black event?” I nod. “This is the Limitless event and they’re serving their signature drink - the Cherry Bomb - that they only serve at this event.”

“Okay so are you guys going?”

They share a look and I raise my eyebrow at them. “Well,” Jisoo starts, “They told us to invite you and to make sure you try their drink because we won’t be here long enough to try it next month. So they asked for you, but after last night it’s not a good-”

“I’ll go.”

They both stare at me like I’ve turned purple, confusion flooding their faces. “Excuse me?”

I nod. “Yeah, why not? They invited us and let’s be honest it will probably be fun. And I know you’re worried about me, but I’ll be fine. I was just having a bad day last night that ended in a moment.”

Jisoo hums. “Actually it was more like a scene.”

“Either way, we’re going tonight and we’re pretending last night didn’t happen.”

“That’s going to be hard to do,” Jennie adds.

I shrug, walking back to the bathroom. “Oh well.”

—————

I enter the casino for the second time in twenty-four hours, but this time I walk in beside the girls and I feel ten times more confident than I did last night. The lights, the sounds, the people, none of it bothers me like it did last night and I feel like I can actually enjoy myself this time. We make our way toward the bar first to find out what all this hype about their signature drink is. When we reach the bar area, our steps slow until we freeze, staring at the ocean of people surrounding it. Of course, we didn’t think about the consequences of the drink only being served once a month at the most popular hotel and casino chain on the continent. Everyone is going to be trying to buy them all night and we’ll be lucky if we make it to the front of the crowd.

I sigh and the girls’ shoulders drop a little, the disappointment clear on their faces. We stand for a moment, silently contemplating where to go now or what to do, but amidst the cloud of disappointment surrounding us, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around, met with the smiling face of Taeil and Jaehyun. They give us each a small bow and greet us, polite as usual.

“I’m glad you could make it,” Taeil comments, giving me a bright smile.

“Me too,” I agree, lacing my fingers together and returning his smile. “So what are you two doing?”

“Just enjoying our time with the guests and friends,” Jaehyun replies. He turns to me with a smile, dimples on display and a sparkle in his eyes.

I nod. “Sounds like it must be the time of your life.”

He tilts his head, watching me closely. “It is, in fact. Care to take a stroll with me?”

“I was actually going to get a-”

“We can get our drinks alone,” Jisoo cuts in, “you don’t need any more to drink after last night.”

“You were going to get drinks?” Taeil questions and the girls nod. “Well, we can’t let friends of our friends wait in such a line. I’ll show you to a quieter bar area,” he offers, holding out his arm to lead them away from the crowded bar area, disappearing among the people.

I watch them until their heads are no longer visible, then turning back to Jaehyun, I’m alarmed to see he’s already watching me. “Um, hey.”

“Do you want to get the full experience of the Cherry Bomb event?” He asks with his usual smile, but the sparkle in his eyes darkens a bit. But I told myself I was going to have more fun and the girls left me, so what else am I going to do? I nod my head and his smile widens. “Well this is the Limitless event so it isn’t for the faint of heart; they tend to take the craziest risks.”

“So I’ve heard,” I mumble. He holds his arm out, gesturing for me to take it and I do, although I’m sure he can sense my hesitation.

He leads us around the casino floor, pointing out NCT members as he sees them and commentating on all the bad decisions the Limitless boys are making - which happens to be all of them. Why do they take so many risks? What do they get out of them? I ask myself, watching as Lucas accepts a bet from a guest, creating a spectacle of himself at one of the poker tables. He and the guest take their seats and the guest announces that the winner obtains $500,000 from the loser of the game and my stomach twists.

Jaehyun grabs my arm as I lurch forward, the wind knocked out of my lungs from the blow of his words. “$500,000! That’s half a million! That’s more than I’ll ever see in my life, what is he doing?”

Jaehyun shrugs, holding me up and helping me regain my balance. “He’s doing what they all do - what all of us do - he’s taking risks, making it interesting for the audience we always have. If we were boring, do you think we would be where we are now?”

‘Well, first off all, that shouldn’t matter if your business skills are as exquisite as the rumors say. And second, I don’t think the opposite of boring is putting half a million dollars on the line.”

“Half a million dollars is nothing to us,” he responds in less of a jab and more of a matter-of-fact explanation, keeping his eyes on Lucas. He glances at me out of the corner of his eye for a moment. “But our business skills are exactly what they’re cracked up to be - our eighteen business degrees aren’t for nothing - but sometimes you need a little help to get where you need to be.”

I turn to him and study his profile while he continues staring ahead. The jut of his nose and soft skin of his face, the intensity of his eyes compared to his dimples - he is something of a walking contradiction. There is something brewing beneath the surface and he seems to be bubbling over, speaking to me like we know each other. He must feel like he can’t talk to his friends and business partners, although I can see how working together could affect friendships. It’s possible he has no one else to talk to and maybe he can sense I’m struggling as well and feels like he can confide in me.

“What kind of help?”

“Can’t say?”

I turn back to the poker game and let out a quiet sigh. “Is it illegal?”

There is a long pause on his end as a hush falls over the crowd. He watches the game intensely, a strong contrast from his usual smile and cheery personality. “Not exactly.”

I realize this is as much as he’ll divulge right now and decide to change the topic. “What happens if Lucas loses the money?”

“Then he loses it; like I said half a million is nothing to us,” he pauses for a moment, licking his lips, “we have more than necessary if I’m honest.”

“I’ve only known you for a few days, but I wouldn’t expect anything less than complete honesty,” I joke, crossing my arms.

He turns to me with a smile and a small giggle, reverting back to the guy he was ten minutes ago. “Yeah, I’m pretty open.”

I raise an eyebrow at him. “Hmm, you don’t say?”

He lets out a booming laugh this time, throwing his head back and placing a hand over his stomach. Guests around us turn to glare at the person who interrupted the silence, but when they realize he’s one of the owners they avert their gaze immediately when he begins to recover from his laughter. Lucas looks over for a moment after his turn and sends a wave our way followed by a big, beaming smile that lights up his eyes. He’s like a giant child.

Eventually, they reach the last hand and I’m relentlessly biting my nails, wishing for it to end, but also hoping that it never does because I don’t want to witness Lucas losing. If I have to watch them lose $500,000 I might have a heart attack right here, in the middle of the casino with hundreds of witnesses. Seconds tick by until they turn into minutes and I have to ball my hands into fists to stop myself from biting my nails off.

Lucas tosses his cards down with a smirk plastered on his face and the dealer glances at Lucas’ cards and then the guest’s and announces that Lucas won the game. Lucas immediately stands up, pumping his fists in the air and shouting at the top of his lungs. He runs around the edge of the crowd receiving high fives and congratulations from the guests while he continues to cheer and celebrate. I let out a deep exhale, relief flooding through me. I was ridiculously invested in a poker game that had nothing to do with me.

We watch in silence as the crowd envelopes Lucas while the guest reluctantly hands over a check that nearly makes my eyes pop out of my head when that is a check worth half a million dollars. My lunch is nearly on the ground at the thought of someone betting that much money, then willingly giving it up all at one time. This is all so foreign to me and I don’t know how to process the scene unfolding in front of me.

Jaehyun suddenly wraps an arm around my waist, guiding me away from the deal and back toward the bar area. “What do you say we get that drink now?” I nod my head in agreement and allow him to lead us through the crowds - he greets everyone as we pass and I still cannot seem to grasp the idea that they’re all so interactive with their guests, it’s almost unheard of - and soon we reach the main bar area once again.

The crowds are still dense, if not more packed with people trying to reach the front than earlier. Jaehyun, however, being the owner that he is, slides us past the crowd and around behind the bar where the bartender - the same guy from last night - greets him with a big smile and a quick bow. Jaehyun returns the greetings, a smile of his own on his face while he tells the man he’ll just be a few minutes to which the bartender responds “no problem, anytime, always a pleasure to have you”.

I roll my eyes and turn to the corner that we’re working in while Jaehyun begins pulling out alcohol and supplies he needs to make this special drink everyone seems to be losing their minds over. I walk around, being sure not to stray too far, but watching the crowd push closer and closer. A few people point at Jaehyun, talking among themselves and watching him in amazement, although it’s understandable considering he is one of eighteen legends. Pretty iconic.

He finishes the drink and hands it to me, awaiting my reaction. I lean forward to smell it first, but he stops me, telling me that I just need to experience it. I give him a wary look, but bring the glass to my lips and take a few sips, processing the liquid hitting my taste buds. My eyes widen in surprise and I instinctively hum in approval; the taste is better than I would have thought. I shake my head at him and take another sip.

“Wow, that is actually really amazing. And you made it? That’s crazy,” I tell him, chugging my drink until the glass is empty. I set it down carefully and wipe the corners of my mouth to be sure nothing spilled.

Jaehyun laughs. “Oh gee, thanks.”

“No, no, I mean you’re like a really big CEO and business guy with a hugely successful career and I didn’t think that included making drinks.”

He smirks at me followed by an eyebrow raise. “Looks like I’m full of surprises.”

“I guess so,” I reply. He leads us away from the bar and the prying eyes with a gentle hand on my back. When we’re at the edge of the casino floor he suddenly turns to me and asks, “Do you want to go get dinner? I’m hungry and I think you should eat something after that drink.”

I shrug. “Sure. As long as it’s free on my end.”

Jaehyun stares at me, tilting his head. “Oh really?”

I smile. “Yeah, of course. If I’m rolling with an owner now and he invites me to dinner than the polite thing to do is not have me pay.” I laugh at his reaction and smack his arm. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I’m not that bad. But I will have you know that Taeil brought me to dinner and I didn’t have to pay so you have some competition.”

“Oh, okay, okay,” he chuckles, nodding his head at me. “If that’s how it’s going to be, then maybe I should just have your entire stay be free.”

“Well if that’s what you feel you need to do, then I won’t stop you,” I reply half-joking and half-serious. He simply laughs and grabs my hand leading me off the main casino floor and toward the stairs.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

——————-

The waiter sits us at a table on the far side of the lounge, away from the crowd and with full, immediate service - something I can get on board with. I open the menu and my mouth begins to water just at the sight of all the food. I flip between the pages for a few minutes before closing the menu and meeting Jaehyun’s eyes.

“Oh, do you already know what you want?”

He smiles. “Yeah, I know the entire menu by heart so it doesn’t take long for me to decide,” he replies waving the waiter down. We order our food and the waiter takes our menus, leaving us in silence for a moment before I decide to speak up.

“So how are you okay with Lucas just risking the money like that? I really can’t understand it.”

He shrugs, folding his hands together on the table, watching me closely. “It’s not exclusively my money. We all share the money and we all have equal rights to it because we’re all in this business with equal shares. If that is how Lucas wants to waste his, then who are we to stop him? We’ve all bought outrageous and expensive things, so we have no room to be mad or judgemental.”

I take a moment to let his words sink into my mind, the absurdity of it all hitting me like a brick. They live insane lives; lives I could never even begin to fully imagine. “You guys really have all the money in the world.”

“Not exactly, but,” he pauses, looking away and sweeping his eyes over the room, “we’re pretty damn close.” He says it as though he’s ashamed of his money, his accomplishments, and I wonder why. But it’s not my place to ask, so I decide to overlook it.

“So are you all into taking risks? I’ve heard from some people that you are all crazy and some people say it’s only the Limitless guys, so what’s the real story?” I lean forward, resting my chin in my hands and he laughs at my reaction and my question.

“So you’re asking about us?” I roll my eyes and he waves his hand to show he’s joking. “I would like to disagree and say we’re not crazy, but to each his own I guess, and I’m sure we come off as crazy so who am I to deny it. I think we all take risks in our ways, but we have all definitely taken risks, being in a business like this and playing it safe isn’t exactly the best way to go. We wanted to be the best of the best and in order to be on top and stay on top, we’ve had to do some crazy things and take some risks. I’m sure we all regret a few, but for the most part, I don’t think most of the guys regret their choices.”

The waiter appears, setting our plates down and wishing us a good meal before disappearing once again. I stare down at my food for a moment, feeling the steam on my face and inhaling the mouth-watering scent, but I bring my eyes back up to Jaehyun and watch him take a bite from his food.

“What about you?”

He swallows the bite and watches me, confusion evident on his face. “What about me?”

“Do you have regrets? Just because all of the other guys don’t regret their choices doesn’t mean you don’t and, correct me if I’m wrong, I get the feeling you’re a little unhappy with your lifestyle or some aspect of the business. I’m sure it must be hard working with seventeen other people, let alone your closest friends, and that can put a lot of weight on your shoulders. Especially considering all of you seem intent on the idea of monitoring everything at all times; this business seems to have taken over your lives.”

He pauses in his eating to watch me with interested, alarmed eyes that stare at me with an intensity unmatched by most. I take his silence as a ticket to lean forward and begin eating some of my food while he processes my words. We sit in silence for a few minutes while Jaehyun picks at his food and remains in deep thought, and I begin to think he’s ignoring me because I crossed some sort of line.

“I do.” He takes a deep breath, lifting his eyes to meet mine and holding me hostage with the look of need in them. “Of course, I have regrets, everyone does, but our group… I won’t get into it, but we don’t live normal lives. Not anymore - as if that wasn’t already obvious,” he says, gesturing to the room around him. He chuckles lightly followed by a sigh. “I don’t know, I love our lives and this business means more than the world to us, but sometimes I regret our decisions before it took off and we became successful. We just didn’t make all the best choices.”

“Well everyone makes bad choices in their life - I certainly have - and you can’t choose which ones weigh you down, so maybe try talking to your friends about it.”

“I can’t,” he replies bluntly. I’m slightly taken aback, but I quickly recover, pretending I didn’t notice.

“Why?”

He sighs, running a hand through his hair and leaning back in his chair, appearing frustrated with himself, though I can’t figure out why. Maybe I shouldn’t push, but for whatever reason, I can’t stop myself. The lure of their lives and the people behind the business tempts me to a point of no return. I want to know their business, their reasoning, and passion behind it; I want to know them and why they’re so set on being constantly involved with every detail, appearing to be professional, then turning around to risk the money they’ve earned. They’re anomalies to me which makes them the perfect distraction from my problems. So I press on.

“Why can’t you talk to them? Haven’t you all been friends for most of your lives? Has the business created a space between all of you that you don’t want to be there?”

He glances between me and his plate a few times, appearing slightly uncomfortable, yet bursting at the seams to begin speaking. “There are just things we don’t talk about anymore because we agreed to bury the past in the past and although we never wanted to forget our roots and the journey to where we are now, sometimes you have to. And we did; I’m not going to be the one to bring it back up, even if I feel uneasy about our decisions. I just know we were wrong, but there’s nothing I can do to erase the past.”

Then it happens. The words are out of his mouth and a weight lifts off me, easing me into a sense of calm like I’ve never felt before. I take a deep breath and it’s like a piece of my mind clears, the fog dissipating enough to allow a sense of freedom to wash over me briefly - the sensation similar to drinking a glass of cold water, yet at the same time feeling like having the water thrown in your face. When I recover from the sensation, I lift my eyes to meet Jaehyun’s and I can see in his expression and in the surprise sparkling in his eyes that he felt the same thing. But I get the feeling he is just as confused as I am.

I open my mouth a few times, unsure of what to say. My mouth feels a little dry from the action, so I grab the water to gulp down as much as possible before speaking. “What just-”

Jaehyun smiles at me, returning to his normal, charming self in the blink of an eye. “Well I’m full and I just remembered that I have to meet with one of the guys about some things, so I’ll leave you to meet with your friends. I hope to see you around and having a great time. Goodbye.” He nods to me and quickly pushes his chair in. I watch him as he walks further away from the table and out of the lounge, throwing one last glance over his shoulder.

I lean back in my chair, letting out a long sigh as I stare at his abandoned food and replay parts of the conversation in my head. That was one of the weirdest experiences I’ve had in a while and I’m still in shock that I actually went that far. That is so unlike me and I can’t fathom the idea of me doing something like that, yet here I am sitting in the aftermath of my choices. I push my food away and run my hands through my hair, resting my chin in my palm.

My body is buzzing with adrenaline and my mind feels like I’m high on a drug I never took. I can’t help but wonder if Jaehyun was affected the same way or if I’m simply losing my mind. I’m on cloud nine from a conversation that ended on awkward terms at best. I must be a freak, that’s the only plausible answer for my weird behavior and reaction. I’ll have to apologize the next time I see him before he thinks I’m actually crazy.

—————

The lobby is fairly busy when I enter, on my way back from my massage. People move toward the elevators slowly, staring around themselves in awe while some simply skip straight to the fun part, dragging their luggage with them as they begin to explore the lobby and all it has to offer. I smile to myself, feeling more relaxed then I have in years from the massage I got. They really only offer the best of the best here.

As I’m making my way to the staircase, unwilling to wait ten minutes for an elevator, I see Mark - one of the first guys I met - walking out from the hall I met Taeil in. He moves with speed and intent, probably on his way to a meeting or some sort of business affair; that seems to be all they ever do. I want to ask him where Jaehyun is so I can apologize, but I don’t want him to know about that piece of information. But as Mark is nearing the corner and my opportunity has almost passed me, I swallow my reservations and jog to catch up to Mark, lightly tapping him on the shoulder. He turns around quickly, surprising me, so I take a step back, suddenly feeling small as he gives me a once over as a way to size me up. I must have surprised him as well.

“Hey. Hi, sorry, I didn’t mean to creep up on you,” I ramble, folding my hands behind my back.

His serious expression morphs into the warmest of smiles, little crinkles forming near his eyes. “It’s no problem. How are you? I hope your stay has been enjoyable.”

A snort slips out of me and I quickly cover my mouth, composing myself enough to respond. “It has, of course. This place is amazing, as I’m sure you’re regularly told. So why is that the first thing you all ask whenever you see a guest? I mean I know why, but it’s just such dedication.”

“Have you ever felt such strong loyalty to something or someone that there is no other way of life but living with such dedication?” As the words leave his mouth thoughts and images and memories of Taehyung plague my mind, bringing forth a bitter nostalgia that shows itself in the form of a frown.

“Unfortunately yes.” I shift on my feet and try to appear less affected. “But that’s not the reason I’m here to talk-”

“It’s about Jaehyun isn’t it?” He tilts his head to show his understanding, not an ounce of judgment visible on his face. “He seemed off when he came back so I convinced him to confide in his best friend - weird, right? - and I finally got it out of him. He’s not upset if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“Well, kind of - I just really want to talk to him and apologize. Do you - do you know where he is?”

He shakes his head with a small smile. “I do, but as his best friend, it’s not my job to give away his location if he doesn’t want to be found right now. Sorry.”

I wave my hands quickly, shaking my head. “No, I completely understand. Thank you for your time, Mark.”

He chuckles. “No need to sound so formal; you don’t have to thank me for my time.” His smile falters for a moment and he becomes serious. “But when you do see him the next time, I know he wants to talk about it just so you know.”

I nod my head. “Noted. Thank you, again.”

He smiles, backing away and pointing at me. “Anytime. And I really mean it, you’re a friend now, don’t hesitate to talk to us.” With that, he disappears around the corner and I stare at the wall for a few moments before making my way to the stairs.

I knew I felt unnaturally comfortable around them since we met, but they clearly feel the same if they consider me a friend already. Unless I’m just a weird, crazy exception. Or they consider all their guests as close friends because they know the guests are only around for a short period of time. I continue to worry over my situation as I climb up the stairs, getting in my daily work out and settling on a shower as I enter the room.

———–

Later on, the girls and I decide to go down to the restaurant for dinner. As we arrive I see a large table on the far side of the restaurant and I can tell from the group size and the untouchable atmosphere that the NCT boys are down here having dinner as well. It feels like a pit opens up inside me and I become anxious knowing Jaehyun is on the other side of the room. I take a deep breath and swallow the lump in my throat, shuffling beside the girls to one of the booths along the wall next to the entrance. A waitress walks up to us immediately, a bright smile on her face as she welcomes us and asks us what we would like to drink.

She leaves to retrieve our drinks, leaving us to stare at our menus and I hold mine in front of my face. I occasionally peak my eyes over the edge to take inventory on their table, quickly hiding behind the menu if any of the boys move an inch. Jennie and Jisoo begin to notice my odd behavior, setting their menus on the table and watching me with looks of confusion. I do the same, pretending I’ve ordered as well to seem like I haven’t been creepily watching the boys across the room for the last five minutes.

“What are you doing?” Jennie questions, watching me with narrowed eyes.

I shake my head. “Nothing.”

Jisoo snorts. “Yeah, right. You’re too obvious to fly under the radar. Try again.”

“There was just a small,” I pause, searching for the right word, “altercation between Jaehyun and I, so I feel a little awkward. And they’re all sitting over there, so I just want to be sure that they don’t notice us because now is not the time to deal with it.”

“Well, staring at them from behind a menu is more likely to capture their attention than anything else, so maybe try to avoid looking like a stalker,” Jisoo comments as the waitress returns to take our orders.

The minutes pass by and I eventually forget about the laughing boys across the room, focusing on my food and the girls’ experience in the casino last night. I cover my mouth before food can fall out as I laugh hysterically at their reenactment of a couple celebrating a win, only to realize it wasn’t their money. A little negative, but that is why you shouldn’t drink and gamble; always a lesson to be learned.

When we’ve finished our meals and the girls are discussing dessert options with the waitress, I catch a glimpse of movement behind her and I turn my head to see the boys standing from their table and walking toward the entrance. My eyes widen and I turn my head, attempting to be nonchalant about my fright, but I fear that I am as obvious as the girls tell me I am. Eventually, the girls decide against dessert because they’re “insanely full” - I’m not even sure why they asked about dessert in the first place - and Jennie offers to cover the meals. As soon as she pays, we exit the restaurant and the first thing I see are Jaehyun, Taeil, and Mark standing in the hallway with their hands hidden in their pockets. My mouth drops open and I freeze causing the girls to bump into me.

Taeil smiles at me, nodding his head while Mark just laughs at my reaction, but Jaehyun just stares at me and I let out a nervous giggle. “Um, hey. What’s going on here?”

“We saw you in the restaurant and we wanted to talk,” Mark replies. He glances at Jaehyun for a moment, then back to me, realizing he needs to clarify. “Not about anything personal, we just have a sort of… offer for you and your friends.” He nods to the girls and they seem equally as startled as I am.

“What do you mean?”

“We want to offer you a month-long stay, free of charge, for you three to help us with promotions for our location opening up in Thailand next year,” Taeil explains. “We’re really behind in the marketing aspect and we thought that you may be willing to help us. You will be getting paid, of course, but we thought we should bring it up with you three to give you some time to consider our offer.”

“Wait, but why us?” Jennie questions.

“Well I actually knew your brother while I was going to business school and he only said amazing things about you. He had pictures of you and your family up in his dorm and I didn’t recognize you right away because you were so much younger in them,” Mark says. “This is just an offer and if you want to decline it, we understand, but we would appreciate the help and honestly we don’t meet many trustworthy people in the world we live in.”

“How do you know we’re trustworthy, you barely know us?” I ask, stepping forward.

“Obviously we don’t know for sure until we get to know you, but in the world of businesses and casinos, you learn to get to know people and over time you can tell when someone is genuine or not, and correct me if I’m wrong, but you three seem genuine to me.”

I look at the girls for a moment and notice Jennie staring at Mark like a predator watching its prey. “Why wouldn’t he have told me, if he knew you. You’re a pretty big deal.”

Mark smirks. “Exactly. I asked your brother to never bring up that he knew me or that we were roommates so that he wouldn’t be brought into the public eye. People like to attack those that are closest to us, so I knew that it was best for him to stay silent on his ties to me. After we graduated we stopped talking and we haven’t seen each other since.”

Jennie’s face lights up with recognition. “So you’re the roommate he stayed with one holiday because you would have been alone. You couldn’t go home to see your family.”

Mark nods. “That would be. And you’re the older sister that always nagged him about remembering to do his laundry.”

Jennie rolls her eyes. “Yeah, but you met him, if I hadn’t he would have forgotten.”

“Yes, he would have.” Mark smiles at the memory but quickly turns his attention back to us. “So take your time with deciding and get back to us-”

“We’ll do it,” Jennie cuts in and Jisoo and I look at each other in surprise.

“We will?” I ask her with wide eyes.

She turns to us and smiles. “I will. You two can take your time in deciding, but I want to do it.”

Jisoo looks between us before nodding her head. “Well, I’m not missing a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I’m sure as hell doing it.”

They look at me and I sigh. “Of course, I’m going to agree, I’m not going to let you two have all the fun.” I look at the guys and nod my head. “It’s a deal.” We all shake hands and I try not to make the atmosphere tense between me and Jaehyun, avoiding eye contact while we shake hands, but jolting away when I feel like I got shocked. I try to ignore it as best I can, but as we say our goodbyes and the girls and I go back to our room, I can’t help but wonder why everything here seems so off.


	3. Chapter 2: First and Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not edited, sorry. But hopefully, it's still decent!

As the days go by the girls and I keep up with our end of the deal, posting on social media and creating a hashtag that trends on both Instagram and Twitter, igniting a flame of interest and making Regular-Irregular a hot topic not only across Asia but across the world. Jennie is head of the social media aspect, tweeting and posting pictures every hour, giving shout-outs, holding polls, and retweeting anyone who posts a picture of themselves in the hotel or casino. She keeps Regular-Irregular a hot topic and reels in new guests and followers, tempting them to visit the most famous hotel and casino in the world, owned by the youngest billionaires.

Jisoo, however, frequently visits the casino and restaurants, sparking conversation among the guests about the future location, then leaving her listeners intrigued while she goes around spreading the information to anyone sober enough to hear her. This creates immense talk through the hotel and casino about the next location and piques the interest of guests, planting the idea of planning to take a trip as soon as it opens. Jisoo is the face of our promotions, her beauty and welcoming personality making customers feel a part of something exclusive.

I have enjoyed my time staying behind the scenes to help the boss group with the finalized versions of pamphlets, flyers, models for opening week and following events, posters, commercials, and every other way that we can promote and expose the company to the general public. The boss boys have taken me under their wing to keep me busy and learn the ropes of marketing and promoting a business as big as this one. They continue to thank me and dramatically bow to me as a joke because they had no unique drawings or slogans until I came along so they call me “the angel” for saving them. I have insisted multiple times that it’s unnecessary but they come back twice as hard insisting like the slick businessmen they are that it is completely necessary so I give in every time.

This new job keeping me busy has been a blessing in disguise and I am so glad that I was granted the opportunity and that the girls were so set on accepting the deal. I have been too busy to sulk about Taehyung or feel the cold emptiness settling in me. There has been no time for me to process my pain or mourn the loss that has torn me apart. I know deep down that this is unhealthy and I should take time to allow myself to recover emotionally and mentally, but I can’t quite allow myself to give into reality and pain. Not yet, not while I’m here with Jisoo and Jennie who are having the time of their life and the boys who have given me the opportunity of a lifetime.

When I have free time between meetings, I linger down at the casino, distracting myself from my thoughts all while conveniently avoiding Jaehyun. I haven’t seen him since they proposed the idea to us, considering he’s busy with his duties and now I have my own. But no matter how long I avoid him, I can’t help but feel curious. Curious about him, curious about the boys, curious about the inner workings of their tight-knit social circle and the company they’ve built around them. I want to know more about these eighteen boys, especially now that they’re employing me and I decide after a meeting one day that that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

I exit the meeting room after saying my goodbyes and I immediately dart down the halls, taking the stairs instead of the crowded elevators to reach the first floor. The lobby is crowded with new guests checking in and glancing around, clearly contemplating if the number one trend is worth all the hype. I spot Jisoo welcoming some guests and taking selfies with a few girls and I give her a wave as I pass. When I reach the restaurant, I search for the waitress that I’ve recently befriended - Joy - and I quickly race over to her, pulling her aside.

“When is your lunch break?” I ask her, practically vibrating with excitement.

“Well, hello to you too,” she responds, pocketing her small notepad. “It’s in half an hour, why?”

“Perfect. I’ll meet you in the back because I have some questions.”

“Oh no, am I in trouble?” She smirks, lifting a perfect brow and I roll my eyes at her.

“Ha, ha. You’re so funny.”

“Yeah, I know.”

————

We sit at a corner booth and I hold a cup of coffee between my hands, allowing the heat to warm me up and give me the strength to ask questions. Joy sits across from me clad in her all-black uniform, drinking a glass of water and waiting for me to speak. “I’m assuming you didn’t meet with me to have a staring contest,” she comments, cracking a smile, “so what’s up?”

I sigh and drag the mug closer, feeling the steam on my face. “You said you’ve been working here for a year, right?” She nods her head and I let my eyes wander around the room while I think of the best way to phrase my next question. “So you must know a decent amount about the owners and the business, right? At least from speaking to them in passing or hearing stuff from others who have spoken to them?”

I shift my gaze to her and she meets my eyes, analyzing me while she purses her lips and thinks. “Aren’t you friends with them? Working closely with them?” She questions, leaning back in her seat and crossing her slender arms across her chest. “So why are you asking me? Are you looking for rumors?”

My eyes widen and I quickly shake my head. “No, no, I’m not looking to get involved with any rumors or gossip that float around, I just… I’m curious about them. But I’m sure you’re aware of how closed off and isolated they are. They talk to me, but sometimes it feels like they’re just robots and they don’t really know how to interact like normal humans.”

She nods again, biting on her thumbnail. After a few moments of silence, she suddenly leans forward, startling me enough to let out a small gasp. “I know you said no rumors, but this is one that has been going around since I started working here and now that you’ve mentioned something about it I feel obligated to bring it up,” she whispers hastily and I notice her glance out of the corner of her eye for a split second.

I lean in as well, a feeling of nervous energy settling in the pit of my stomach. “What? What is it?”

“People would talk about them the way you’re describing them; speaking of them as though they don’t know how to interact with people other than their elite group of owners. They would say that none of the boys knew anything except for their business like they never had a life before Regular-Irregular. They all obsess over their prized possession in different ways, taking it to the extreme that it’s like they don’t have their own personalities; their business has stripped them of their identities and built new ones in their place.

“The rumors have been going around long before I started working here, stemming, not from the creation of Regular-Irregular, but when it became the most popular hotel and casino. There was a change that happened here and no one is quite sure what it was or how it happened because one moment they were regular guys with business degrees, trying to make a dream come to life, then suddenly they were the richest, most popular CEOs of this generation. The only thing they were missing was themselves, their personalities, identities, their humanity, and some people - I’ve seen thousands of people theorizing on social media about it - believe that that was their price to pay in order to become this successful.”

“What, like selling their souls?” I question, dropping my voice as quiet as I can.

She shrugs. “Something like that. I’m too afraid to look into it too deeply because if it’s true I don’t want them to somehow find out and come after me or something. With how powerful they are, who knows what they’re capable of.”

I allow myself a minute to process the insane amount of information I was just told and begin forming questions. “So is that how the groups were formed?”

“You mean like Boss, Paradise, and Limitless?”

“Yeah.” She nods and my brain goes into overdrive attempting to piece together the information I have and make something of it if anything is even there. “So they lost their personalities when Regular-Irregular’s popularity sky-rocketed, then they adopted new personalities according to the ways and the extent they were involved in the company?”

“Essentially. The Limitless boys were the ones taking the most risks and attempting to reel in guests so they would be more likely to take risks as well and feel like they’re a part of the crowd because they were with owners and that is definitely a story to tell your friends. They pulled wild stunts, gambled insane amounts of money, and were overall the life of the party, giving their customers an experience to remember. The Boss boys were obviously the ones that took care of the business side of the company, drowning themselves in work and spending days at a time locked in offices to do whatever it is they do behind the scenes. This makes them appear to be the most robotic and almost lifeless.

“The Paradise boys are just that, they look like paradise, but they might be the worst of them all. Where the Limitless boys reel in customers, the Paradise boys lure them in with charm, smooth talking, and promises in their eyes that fill you with the hope that they only have eyes for you. Male or female they can win over anyone and it’s almost like they’re holding you hostage with their presence because you can’t help but become lost in their words and their faces, quite frankly. But in less than a second, they’re gone, moving onto the next guest in order to keep the atmosphere light and welcoming for all, almost keeping everyone in a trance, as if casinos don’t do that enough on their own. Once you’re standing at the bar alone you feel like you lost the prize, yet you feel like thanking them for even giving you the time of day - a feeling I continue to despise which is why I try to avoid any of those boys as much as possible. They’re one step down from fatal.”

My mouth has been open as I listen to her talk, saying things that are so outlandish they could never be true, yet it’s all coming together and it makes perfect sense. My mind is moving at a hundred miles an hour and I urge my mouth to speak, or at least close. “Where are you getting all of this?”

“Mostly social media and forums of people who have been here and like to share their amazing, but bizarre experiences. But like I said there is also a lot of talk around here as well, employees love to talk.”

Her words about the Paradise group echo in my mind and thoughts of Jaehyun swirl around, mixing in with this new found information and fitting together like puzzle pieces. It’s like my eyes have suddenly opened and I can see everything without rose-colored lenses. “There is weird stuff happening here and it all stems from those eighteen boys who are now my bosses and I want to get to the bottom of it.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Joy questions apprehensively.

I nod. “Well, I work for them now, so I think it’s a good idea to know who I’m spending eight hour days with. Plus they sought me out and have now cemented themselves into my lives by offering my friends and I the opportunity of a lifetime that they knew we couldn’t refuse. Also, it’s incredibly weird that their three groups happened to split up perfectly even by having six in each group.”

“Yeah, agreed. Honestly, I’ve always been curious about them and their origins with the company - obviously, considering I’ve admitted to looking at theories and I just gave a damn speech about them - so I want to be your partner in crime. Well, not crime, but I want to be your co-detective on this case.”

I roll my eyes and let out a chuckle. “Alright, well I could use the help and you seem to have done a lot of prior research.”

A blush rises on her cheeks and she begins, picking at her nails. “Like you said, it’s always nice to know what your employers are like.”

—————

Jisoo and Jennie leave the room pouting because they have to work on the night of the last group’s monthly event - First and Last. This is Paradise’s event and the most popular event because of the group that hosts it, after all, the Paradise group reels in the customers, so they know how to make guests feel welcome. Unfortunately, for Jennie and Jisoo the boys decided they should be down at the casino because Jennie needs to post about how amazing it is on a Friday night and Jisoo is the new face of Regular-Irregular so she is required to be down there on one of the most popular nights. They instructed me to go to the First and Last event so I can keep them updated and experience it for them. Lucky for them, Joy and I had already decided that we were going in order to find out more about the boys and what makes these events so special.

Five minutes after the girls leave, Joy knocks on the door and I grab my bag, shutting the door behind me as we make our way to the elevator. We remain silent during the ride and the walk to the largest lounge room in the building, located on the third floor where the most popular Regular-Irregular event will be hosted - as mentioned a few hundred times by all of the boys who insisted I should be there. As we reach the entrance, telling the bouncer our names so he can check the list, my insides begin to twist into an uncomfortable knot, threatening to have me vomiting on the expensive carpet at my feet.

When we get the green light to enter it’s like we’ve entered a different dimension that has my head spinning. The feeling of being so overwhelmed and welcomed mixed with feelings of comfort and warmth, leave me more entranced than I have ever been in a casino. They must be putting something in the air because, as I look around, I notice everyone around me is just as entranced as I am, walking around in a half-aware state of content.

My eyes catches someone on the lower level sitting on one of the couches, chatting with a pair of guests that are sitting on the edge of their seats while he remains non-committal, yet enticing with his gaze and posture. His arms stretch along the back of the couch, one leg crossed over the other lazily, making his black slacks appear slightly short on his long legs. His fingers tap an unknown rhythm against the leather making him exude a confident, cool aura to match his charming smile. He is sporting a sleek all-black suit that makes him appear even leaner and taller than he already is and makes his pink, gelled hair stand out like a full moon in the sky.

The guests watch him in awe, their eyes hungry to pick up every little move he makes and word he speaks, never getting enough of his charismatic presence. However, while their eyes never leave his powerful form, his dark eyes glance around him in small intervals, taking in as much of his scenery as the time restraint will allow, making sure to have his eyes back on the guests and giving them a dazzling smile before his inattentive gazing is considered rude. I watch from afar as though I, too, am under his spell even with half the room between us.

It’s as if he can sense my eyes on him because within the next few seconds his eyes snap to mine, holding me hostage with his gaze and keeping me paralyzed like the prey caught by a predator’s watchful eyes. His eyes only leave mine for a few moments while he excuses himself from his company and strides over to Joy and me, leaving the two guests staring after him disappointed with his departure. For a brief moment as he holds my gaze his eyebrow lifts up in a barely noticeable twitch and I swallow as he closes in on me.

“Well, if it isn’t the queen of Regular-Irregular herself,” he jokes, tilting his head to the side and I can see his natural urge to charm me seeping into every expression and movement. He softly grabs my hand, lifting it to his lips and placing a warm kiss on the back, sending unwanted butterflies tearing through my insides. “Glad you could make it.”

I carefully pull my hand out of his grasp and folding my hands behind my back while he watches in amusement a small smile adorning his beautiful face. “It was Jaemin, right?”

“Na Jaemin, yes, the one and only. Glad you remembered,” he responds, sliding his hands into his pocket and giving me a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“You all seem to like to make yourselves unforgettable.”

“Aw, yes! That’s what I like to hear; I knew I liked you when I first met you.” I give him a tight-lipped smile as he throws an arm around me and nods toward the bar. “Do you two want to get a drink? It’s on the house since you both work here and we want our employees to be treated as well as the owners.”

He leads us through the crowd before we’ve even answered and I suddenly realize why it’s so easy for everyone to get roped into anything and everything they do. Their manipulation is hidden behind a confident, comfortable aura that can make anyone feel special, especially paired with their insane levels of beauty. I silently allow him to lead us, his arm still hanging across my shoulders and Joy walking beside me, watching Jaemin out of the corner of her eye.

He wears his smile like a trophy, letting everyone know he’s at the top of the food chain and he’s not afraid to flaunt it. His dark eyes, framed by long lashes, scan the room, burning holes into everyone they land on. I look away, trying not to stare and give him the impression I’m obsessed with him like every other person in this room, however, I catch him smirking once he’s returned his attention back to me. He is well aware that I was staring and I already know that he’s going to use it to his utmost advantage.

“What would you like?” He asks Joy and I as he turns to wave over the bartender, and right as his face angles away from us I watch his smirk turn into a cold, deadpan look before immediately morphing back into his usual friendly smile. “We have another signature that I bet Jaehyun didn’t mention when he made you the Cherry Bomb.”

My mouth falls open and I look at Joy before turning back to Jaemin who watches me with a bored expression hiding behind his smile. “How did you-”

“We’re always around on big event nights, don’t you know this by now?” He lets out a soft chuckle, allowing it to cut through the building tension. “Anyway, it’s called Chewing Gum and it’s Paradise’s signature drink; it tastes like bubblegum and has a sickly sweet aftertaste just like us,” he jokes, letting out a more boisterous laugh this time and allowing his face to scrunch up and give off the illusion that he’s actually enjoying himself. Though I have a gut feeling that he only forced this laugh because he knew I wasn’t falling for his act.

“Sure, we’ll try it. If it’s anything like the Cherry Bomb, then I’m sure it’ll be great,” Joy cuts in, attempting to salvage any hint of normalcy.

Jaemin gives a tight smile, his eyes shining with darkness that contradicts his lips. He swipes his tongue across his teeth beneath his lips and watches Joy closely, clearly put off by her innocent comment. “Oh, I’m sure it will be better than the Cherry Bomb in every way, after all, it’s only one of the many reasons Paradise’s event is by far the most popular,” he boasts, holding his arms out to show the room around him. His face shines with a look of pride that happens to be the most genuine expression I’ve seen on his face thus far.

As he turns to order the drinks, I quickly turn to Joy and lean close to her ear. “Are you just as unsettled as I am? There is definitely something wrong with these guys and you were right, this Paradise group is by far the most off their rockers.” I pull away and she gives me a couple of nods.

I turn back to Jaemin and find him leaning against the bar, head tilted, hands folded, and eyes analyzing me like a math problem. “Anything interesting?”

Giving a wide smile, I wave my hand, trying to play it off. “No, just a little inside joke. Nothing exciting.”

“Oh well, I’m sure that’s not true. Everything you do and everything you say is exciting, right? At least that’s how all of NCT seems to act.” He lets out another laugh and smacks the table as if his words were the funniest joke in the world and I flinch slightly, bumping into Joy who grabs my arm, her fingers trembling. His tone comes out playful and airy, but I that that’s not the case. He doesn’t like me and this is his way of subtly hinting toward his distaste toward my part in his friends’ lives, being absolutely sure that I catch on to the underlying threats.

The bartender places three glasses in front of us, filled to the brim with a bubblegum pink liquid smelling of alcohol and candy. The drink lives up to its name and I stare at the drink like its a snake coiled to strike. Jaemin pushes one closer to each of us and I can feel the dull sting of Joy’s nails digging into my arm.

“Drink up ladies, this will be the best drink you’ve ever had.” He lifts his glass as if to have us all do a cheers and I hesitantly reach for my drink, my fingers trembling enough to have a ripple tear through the liquid. As my eyes lift to Jaemin’s face his eyes hone in on my minute actions, a sign that he’s succeeding in getting whatever action he wanted out of me. His smile grows into one of genuine content as all three of our glasses meet, small clinks echoing around us.

————–

Fifteen minutes later, Joy and I found refuge in the women’s bathroom after Jaemin had lingered with us, forgoing the small talk and simply waiting until we’d all finished our drinks to politely excuse himself to mingle with the other guests. Joy is pacing back and forth, running her fingers through her hair and mumbling about how weird he is and how off the entire situation felt from beginning to end. I sit on the counter silently, staring at myself in the mirror as I wipe away the pink tint from my lips. Jaemin was right about the drink - I can still taste the sweetness on my tongue like it’s the first drink.

“What are we going to do?” Joy suddenly bursts out, slamming her hands on the counter beside me and leaning down while she breathes.

“About what?”

She stands up giving me a look of disbelief. “About Jaemin, of course. From the way he was acting it seems like he’s holding some type of grudge against you and I wouldn’t be surprised if he added you to some sort of hit list.”

“That seems a bit dramatic, doesn’t it?” I look at her in the mirror and she raises her eyebrows at me.

“Dramatic? Really? They own a hotel and casino, who knows what underground weirdo groups they’re a part of. I can’t believe I’ve been working for a psychopath for the last year.”

“I don’t think he’s a psychopath.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I can’t explain it, but I get weird feelings when I’m around any of them, especially the Paradise group, maybe because they are the most intense and suspicious. I haven’t been able to pinpoint the feeling because it’s different depending on who I’m with, but with Jaemin it felt-” I shake my head, trying to put my feelings into words, “it felt… like there was something that he knew and I didn’t, but I’m supposed to know. Does that make sense?”

“It makes sense, but it also doesn’t make sense. Like I understand what you’re saying, but I couldn’t even begin to explain why that’s happening.”

I run my hands through my hair, creating knots and large amounts of frizz. “Me either. But this is exactly why we started this mission; we need to uncover why the hell they’re all so weird.”

Joy huffs and turns around, leaning against the counter and crossing her arms. “Now we have to add ‘why does Jaemin hate you’ to the list of mysteries to solve.”

“Hey, whoa, whoa. Don’t single me out.”

“But that’s exactly what he did! I was with you the entire time and I think he looked at me twice and it was never with as much malice in his eyes as he had when he looked at you.” I give her a glare and she throws her hands up in defense. “I’m just reporting what I saw.”

I roll my eyes and let out a long groan. “We’re digging ourselves deeper into this hole.”

She nods. “Yeah, but we were already to a point of no return. Once you realize you’re six feet under it’s too late to try to climb back up without the assistance of a ladder.”

“What?”

“I don’t know. My grandma used to tell me that.”

———-

We walk back into the party, but this time we’re on the lookout for Jaemin determined to avoid him at all costs and try to talk to other NCT members. I notice the Boss members scattered around the edge of the room, clad in suits and scanning the room, as usual, looking as intimidating as ever. Mark’s eyes scan the room and when they fall on me he gives a wide smile, opening his arms and gesturing me over. I grab Joy’s arm and pull over to where Mark stands and get as close to the wall as possible, hoping the crowds of people walking around will conceal me.

“So how are you liking this event?” Mark asks, nodding at Joy and giving her a bright smile. “I hope you’re both enjoying yourselves.”

“How could we not at something as nice as this,” Joy replies, returning the smile and omitting the part about how I may or may not be on Jaemin’s hit list.

He lets out a chuckle and folds his hands together. “Well, I’m glad to hear that.” He turns to me, tilting his head slightly. “So which event has been your favorite since you’ve been to all three now.”

Now it’s my turn to chuckle as I shake my head, wagging a finger at him. “How did I know you were going to ask that?”

“Because we spend too much time together.”

I nod my head. “Yeah, which means I obviously have to say Black on Black. How could I not say the event hosted by my favorite group?” I push his shoulder lightly and he drops his head, letting out a real laugh this time.

“I couldn’t be more happy to hear that.”

We continue talking for a while and I don’t realize how long we had been standing together for until I stretch my arms out and glance at the large clock across the room to find that it’s been 45 minutes. My eyebrows raise and I drop my arms, surprised that time had passed so quickly. As I let my gaze wander around the room, my eyes pass over a figure sitting at the bar and I become inclined to spare another glance, noticing that the male is already staring at me. I focus on the mystery person and as I squint to get a better look he turns to fully face me and I recognize the sharp eyes and lavender hair right away, my heartbeat speeding up until I feel like I’m suffocating.

We stare for a few moments before I pull my gaze away and swallow, trying to ease the dryness in my throat. Mark and Joy continue talking while I focus on acting natural and not like I just made awkward eye contact with someone I’ve been avoiding. They both eye me every once in a while, noticing the change in the atmosphere, but choosing not to talk about it.

Eventually, Mark says his goodbyes, wishing us a great evening and disappearing into the crowd. Joy and I decide that there doesn’t seem to be much going on at this event and we’re a little too afraid that any of the other NCT members have some sort of issue with me, so we decide that it’s best for us to leave and get some rest. She offers to let me stay in her room with her and I accept, texting Jennie and Jisoo that I won’t be in the room tonight.

However, before we get a chance to leave the party, waiters begin spilling into the crowd, handing out flutes of champagne to all the guests, including Joy and I. The crowds gather toward the lower level in the middle of the room, along the walls, and in the middle, leaving space for the Paradise group to strut in front of the bar, where everyone can see them. I look at Joy and she looks at me, both of us aware of what is to come.

The boys begin giving individual toasts, thanking the guests for coming and wishing everyone a great stay at the hotel - typical for any of the NCT members. Jaehyun starts it off and I keep my eyes on my champagne as he addresses the room, avoiding accidental eye contact again. Then, Jaemin woos the crowd with his smooth talking and charm, dropping his eye into a wink when he has finished speaking. Renjun, Jungwoo, and Kun seem the most genuine to me, their charms not nearly as suffocating and their words stay simple and to the point. Winwin gets the most applause and cheers, his smile a perfect indicator as to why.

Joy and I stand rigid, waiting for them to finish speaking and raise their glasses to shout “cheers”, but they continue talking after their individual speeches and unfortunately, the crowd is eating it up. I tap my foot impatiently and consider just throwing back the champagne now and leaving. Unfortunately, I’m not brave enough to do that, so I stand and wait politely.

————-

Joy and I finally make it out of the party, taking deep breaths and reveling in the air that isn’t doused with the scent of other people. She leads me toward the elevator, but before we can press the button, I hear someone clear their throat behind us and I quickly turn around. Taeil and Jaehyun stand there - Jaehyun standing awkwardly while Taeil smiles without a care in the world. I can feel Jaehyun’s eyes burning into me and I do my best to hold eye contact with Taeil instead, though the urge to just take a small glance is eating me alive.

“How was the event? Did it live up to all the hype?” Taeil questions with a tilt of his head.

I nod. “Yeah, it was really nice. Very elegant. I enjoyed it,” I manage to stutter out, my eyes wavering slightly. It’s like Jaehyun’s a magnet and even with all the pride and self-control, my eyes can’t help but slide to his and when they do my heart nearly bursts out of my chest. He doesn’t smile and neither do I. He holds eye contact and so do I.

“I’m glad that you think so,” Jaehyun replies softly, his lips barely moving. “You seemed like you were having a good time.”

I swallow and give another small nod. “It-” my voice cracks and I quickly clear my throat, “it was great.”

Taeil clears his throat once again to get our attention, but it still takes us a few moments to pull our eyes away from one another and when we do I’m the first to look away. I look at Taeil and he gives me a sly smile.

He walks forward and presses the up arrow for the elevator and turns back to Joy and I. “You ladies are going up, right?”

Joy nods and he slides his hands into his pockets, facing the elevator doors. We all wait in silence for the elevator to arrive and it feels like the longest ten seconds of my life. When it finally dings and the doors open for us, revealing an empty elevator, my heart drops a little realizing that the four of us will have a very awkward elevator ride ahead of us. Taeil, however, seems to be enjoying himself, finding amusement in the tense atmosphere and wearing a small smirk as proof.

I follow Taeil into the elevator with Joy holding onto my shirt behind me, clearly uncomfortable from the atmosphere as well. She grabs my arm and holds onto it during the ride, practically glued to my side as she sneaks terrified glances at Taeil who stands beside her still smirking. Jaehyun stands beside me and we all watch the numbers change as we ascend floors slower than I would like. The elevator moves for a moment and I sway slightly, bumping arms with Jaehyun and I quickly pull away, glancing up to see if he noticed. He looks down at our arms, then to me like he wants to say something, but he stays silent and returns his attention to the floor numbers.

I take a deep breath and concentrate on Joy’s hand wrapped around my arm to anchor myself. I never realized how high my floor is until I’ve been forced into an awkward situation. Oh, how perception can change.

The elevator dings and I gasp, surprised by the sudden noise interrupting the silence. I grab Joy’s arm and practically run through the doors with Joy in tow, turning around to face the boys and give a small smile. “Great event, but we’re really tired and we have to go. Okay, bye.” I wave to them and begin retreating down the hall, leaving the elevator behind me.

“Maybe you two should work it out,” Taeil calls from behind me and I whip around watching him as he leans outside of the elevator.

“What?”

“You and Jaehyun,” he clarifies with the first serious expression. “Being awkward won’t solve anything,” he adds before he gets smacked from an arm inside the elevator and pulled back inside. “Just think about it,” he yells before the doors close.

My cheeks burn in embarrassment as Joy leads me down the hall to her room. When we reach her door, she unlocks it and looks at me. “You are so telling me the juicy gossip that I don’t already know.”

I roll my eyes as she pulls me inside, my skin burning like a furnace.


End file.
